jnrmac

Excellent summary and your para on our defence was spot on. Our tall defenders are next to useless. Some here won't accept that Frost and OMac aren't AAs and shoot down anyone that criticises them but how obvious is it when the club recruits May and Lever to fill the holes. They weren't the only reason we lost yesterday but they were terrible at one on one defending yet again. This has been our downfall for the past 4 seasons. May and Lever can't come back quick enough and even then they will be terribly underdone.

I thought we won the centre clearances? Unlike last year we weren't kicking to an outnumbered fwd line.

Absolute rubbish. We have the best midfield in the comp. Should be to our advantage. We lost it because we played like a 2nd rate side and allowed them nearly 100 more uncontested possessions. Aside from Salem no-one else showed up. We were pathetic. As for our lame defence. Its just as well May comes back in next week.

No one stood up. No one. Uncontested possessions showed how lazy they all are. Pathetic effort.

I see where you are coming from but I think you are wide of the mark on this. Regardless of the circumstances that led to this the Richmond guy lays into a defenceless guy lying on the ground. He deserves to go for major assault charges. And if the victim won't press charges the police should.

That worked out well....

Been told that the players were well supportive of the coaches decision to get rid of Watts and Hogan - whilst they like both he and Hogan were also well aware of Hogans ability to go off grid..

PP is a tagger himself! That would be unusual.

Was this a result of the new rules on kick ins? Will be a lot harder to lock the ball in this year you'd think...

The environment was fine for 43 players. Jake Niall is a goose.

I love the sponsor of the Freo shorts - "Choices" Fitting...

This is not necesssarily aimed at Hogan as we don't exactly what is going on with him but the sporting landscape is littered with supremely talented juniors who fail to transition to a professional sport. There is a drive that is needed to get to the top of sport. Some juniors coast along being better than their peers without putting on a huge amount of effort. Raw talent gets you there as a junior in a lot of sports but they don't have the drive or burning desire. I would put Watts in that category, like Sylvia. Great talent but inability to transition to a professional sport to excel. Plenty of others have less talent but a burning desire. I'd take the second guy every time and I think the Dees are getting better at choosing which players have a better chance of making it.

Refused to follow coach's instructions time and again.... like that fateful day against Richmond when Jordan McMahon kicked the winning goal after the siren....Always thought he knew better..And the torp against St Kilda at Etihad probably signed his papers as I am not sure he ever played after that..

Howe left Melbourne because he was promised more time in the forward line.....oh wait....

Actually you aren't allowed to do that at all. You are allowed to bump if the ball is within 5m but they cracked down on taking out a player that does the old give and go.

Well he is a 2nd yr player. We would expect him to develop.

I think you will find Smithy is a pretty passionate Melbourne supporter as well....

I'll be there woo hoo....

He's lost a few Kegs since his Morrish medal win....

He is a dropkick. I would call him much worse but the censors wouldn't be happy.

Not sure I am comfortable with him running in snow. If ever there was an opportunity for your feet to slip and jar/damage your knee that would be it...

I went on a vegan diet and lost 6kgs..... But most of that was personality.... Boom tish....

Jesse who?

They would have been practising all summer what they should have done against Cox....Umps need to be aware of it

Greg Williams was pretty handy. Oliver in time will be talked about like Williams who was unstoppable in his day and had extraordinary vision.